Local Sports Journal

We’ve reached Week 9 of the high school football season.

Six area teams have qualified for the playoffs and several others are looking to get in with a victory this week.

Three area teams are unbeaten and clinched playoff berths in Week 6 – Muskegon, Fruitport and Oakridge.

Also qualified are Montague (7-1), Shelby (6-2) and Newaygo (6-2).

Spring Lake (5-3), Grant (5-3)  and Muskegon Catholic (5-3)  need victories this week to become automatically qualified for the postseason. Spring Lake hosts Shelby and Muskegon Catholic travels north on Saturday to take on Traverse City St. Francis (4-4). Grant travels to Whitehall.

Muskegon has an OK Black showdown with unbeaten Zeeland East, Oakridge takes on its neighbor to the west, Orchard View and Fruitport travels to DeWitt (6-2).

Montague will host Fremont and Newaygo plays home against Morley-Stanwood.

Pairings for the 2012 MHSAA football playoffs will be broadcast at 6 p.m. Sunday on Fox Sports Detroit.